The famous picture comes from Isaiah: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb" (Isaiah 11:6) and "the lion shall eat straw like the bullock" (Isaiah 65:25). In Revelation, Jesus is both "the Lion of the tribe of Juda" (Revelation 5:5) and "a Lamb as it had been slain" (Revelation 5:6), the King who conquers by laying down His life.
Lion and lamb art hangs in many homes and church nurseries, and it often appears on Christmas cards. The Bible uses the image in two ways. Isaiah pictures a future peaceable kingdom where predators and prey live together under the Messiah's rule. Revelation calls Jesus both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God. These twelve King James verses gather both pictures, and the FAQ explains where the popular phrase comes from. For God's care for His creatures, see animals; for Advent hope, see Advent.
The peaceable kingdom: wolf, lion and lamb
1. Isaiah 11:6
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."
Isaiah 11 begins with the shoot from the stem of Jesse, a promise of the Messiah often read in Advent. When He reigns, even natural enemies live in peace, and a little child leads them.
2. Isaiah 65:25
"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD."
This is the verse that puts the wolf, the lamb and the lion side by side. Isaiah sets it in his vision of new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17), where nothing will hurt or destroy.
3. Isaiah 11:9
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
Here is the reason for the peace: the whole earth will know the LORD, as fully as water fills the sea. Harm ends when God is known everywhere.
4. Hosea 2:18
"And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely."
God promises a covenant that includes the beasts, the birds and the creeping things, and an end to weapons of war. The peace of creation is part of God's plan, not an afterthought.
Jesus, the Lamb of God
5. John 1:29
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
John the Baptist introduced Jesus with this title. Every Passover lamb pointed to Him (Exodus 12:13), and many churches sing these words in the Agnus Dei.
6. Isaiah 53:7
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
The Lamb is silent before His accusers. Jesus fulfilled this when He answered nothing before Pilate (Matthew 27:12-14), choosing to bear our sin rather than defend Himself.
7. 1 Peter 1:19
"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
A lamb without blemish was the standard for Old Testament sacrifice. Peter says we were redeemed not with silver or gold but with Christ's precious blood. See blood of Jesus.
8. Revelation 7:17
"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
The Lamb becomes a Shepherd who leads His people to living fountains and wipes away every tear, a tender verse for anyone grieving. See also water.
Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah
9. Genesis 49:9
"Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?"
Jacob blessed his son Judah with lion imagery. King David came from the tribe of Judah, and so did Jesus, which is why He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
10. Revelation 5:5
"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."
John weeps because no one can open the scroll. An elder tells him, Weep not: the Lion has prevailed. But when John turns to look, he sees a Lamb (verse 6).
11. Revelation 5:6
"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
This is the heart of the lion and lamb picture: the conquering Lion is a slain and risen Lamb. Jesus wins by sacrifice, not by force, and every creature in heaven and earth praises Him (Revelation 5:13).
12. Proverbs 28:1
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion."
Lion-like courage belongs to God's people too. Because the Lamb has made us righteous, we can be bold as a lion. See also courage.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, thank You for taking away the sin of the world and my sin too. Lion of Judah, thank You for winning the victory. Make me gentle like a lamb and bold like a lion, and hasten the day when nothing will hurt or destroy in all Your holy mountain. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Color the Nativity with our free Christian Christmas Coloring Pages · Get the free 25-day Advent reading plan · Get the SOAP Bible Study Journal
Frequently asked questions
Does the Bible say the lion shall lie down with the lamb?
Not in those exact words. Isaiah 11:6 says the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and Isaiah 65:25 adds that "the lion shall eat straw like the bullock." The popular phrase blends these verses. Both describe peace in the Messiah's kingdom.
Why is Jesus called both the Lion and the Lamb?
The two titles show two sides of who He is. As the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5), He is the promised King from David's line who has the right to rule. As the Lamb (John 1:29), He is the sacrifice who takes away sin. Revelation 5:5-6 joins them: the Lion conquers as the slain Lamb.
Is the lion and lamb a Christmas symbol?
It often appears at Christmas because Isaiah 11 begins with the promised Branch from Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), a prophecy of Jesus, and because the angels announced peace on earth (Luke 2:14). The image fits Advent, Nativity art and Christmas cards. See Bible verses for Christmas cards.
What does the lion and lamb picture mean for animals?
Isaiah's vision shows that God cares about His creatures and that harm is not His final word for creation. Until then, Scripture asks us to treat animals kindly: "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast" (Proverbs 12:10). See animals for more.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about animals · Bible verses about Advent · Bible verses about Christmas · Bible verses for Christmas cards · Bible verses about the blood of Jesus · Bible verses about the cross · Bible verses about courage
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